Relationship between insulin resistance and plasma vitamin D in adults

Alaa Badawi,1 Suzan Sayegh,2 Eman Sadoun,3 Mohamed Al-Thani,2 Paul Arora,4 Pierre S Haddad51Office of Biotechnology, Genomics and Population Health, Public Health Agency of Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada; 2Department of Public Health, 3Clinical Research Division, Supreme Council of Health, Doha, Qatar; 4Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, ON, Canada; 5Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, CanadaAbstract: A recent relationship between vitamin D deficiency and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and insulin resistance has been established through several studies. Research suggests a correlation between serum vitamin D and glycemic status measures. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the plasma vitamin D levels (25[OH]D) and the factors linked to insulin resistance in a representative sample of Canadians ranging in age from 16–79 years. Data were used from the Canadian Health Measures Survey where direct measures of health and wellness were reported from 1,928 subjects. These data were gathered from March 2007–February 2009 at 15 sites selected through a multistage sampling strategy. An inverse relationship between insulin resistance and plasma vitamin D level in both men and women was observed. This study provides additional evidence for the role of vitamin D in T2DM. If causally associated, the supplementation of vitamin D may help in preventing insulin resistance and subsequent T2DM.Keywords: HOMA-IR, plasma 25(OH)D, diabetes